No respite for Mohun Bagan, suspended for two years from I-League

Century-old club Mohun Bagan was on Saturday slapped with a two-year suspension by the All India Football Federation for abandoning their violence-marred I-League match against East Bengal on December 9.

New Delhi: Century-old club Mohun Bagan was on Saturday slapped with a two-year suspension by the All India Football Federation for abandoning their violence-marred I-League match against East Bengal on December 9.

The decision was taken today by the I-League Core Committee which also declared all of club's matches in the "I-League Competition 2012-2013 cancelled and considered null and void."

"The I-League Core Committee of All India Football Federation (AIFF) received the detailed Report dated 26th December 2012 of the Hon'ble Justice A. K. Ganguly relating to I-League Match No. 68 between Kingfisher East Bengal (KEB) and Mcdowell Mohun Bagan (MMB) played at Yuba Bharati Stadium, Salt Lake City Kolkata on 9 December 2012," the AIFF said in a statement.

"Justice Ganguly in his report has concluded that the decision of MMB for not playing the match after the interval cannot be supported on the grounds of Force Majeure and accordingly MMB has breached Regulation 22 of the I-League Regulation 2012-2013.

"The I-League Core Committee endorsed the decision of Justice A.K. Ganguly that MMBÂ was in breach of I-League regulations and therefore in terms of regulation 22(c) the mandatory and automatic impositions on MMB (i) of being considered to have withdrawn from the I-League Competition 2012-2013 (ii) to have all its matches in the I-League Competition 2012-2013 cancelled and considered null and void (all points, goals scored and goal against being taken away); (iii) being disqualified from taking part in the next two (2) editions of the I-League Competitions; (iv) to return to the I-League any financial stipends that had been paid to it by I-League throughout the Competition 2012-2013 or forfeit the right to the same, are hereby notified to have been imposed upon and effective with immediate effect," the statement said.

The Kolkata giants had refused to take the field in the second half of their match against East Bengal citing 'security fears' after their key player Syed Rahim Nabi got hit on the face by a stone that was hurled from one of the club's stands.

The star India player underwent a surgery to set right two fractured bones and will be out of action for at least six weeks.

The AIFF said that the core committee will meet again on January 9 to get Bagan's assessment of the losses they suffered due to the abandoned match.

"The I-League Core Committee also decided that in the subject matters of 'quantification of the amount of compensation', 'extension of the suspension, if any' and 'additional sanctions and fines, if any', a meeting of the Committee be convened on 9th January, 2013 at New Delhi and M/s. United Mohun Bagan Football Team Private Limited be requested to place its view points in regard to the factors relating to "quantification of the amount of compensation', 'extension of the suspension, if any' and 'additional sanctions and fines, if any'," the statement said.

"Consequent to 'Mcdowell Mohun Bagan' being considered to have withdrawn from the I-League Competition 2012-2013 and having all its matches cancelled and considered null and void (all points, goals scored and goal against being taken away), the revised Fixture with re-structured Point Table will be published as soon as possible," it added.

I-League CEO Sunando Dhar has been authorised to communicate the decision of the Committee to Mohun Bagan and forward a copy of the report with it.

Mohun Bagan general secretary Anjan Mitra said,"I can't take a decision right away. Our executive committee will meet and take a decision to contest the verdict."